Direction-indicator



R. P. SAFELY.

DIRECTION INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. I9, 1919.

Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

P INVENTUR Z R a/e y A TTORNEYS WITNESSES ROBERT PEAY SAFELY, OI OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 21, 1920.

Application filed December 19, 1919. Serial No. 845,958.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Ronnn'r Paar SAFELY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Oakland, county of Alameda, and State of Californla, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Direction-Indicators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to direction indicators for vehicles and has reference more particularly to an electric direction indicator for motor vehicles which is adapted to be manipulated from the dash or instrument board of the vehicle.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means with which a motor vohicle may be equipped and which can be conveniently manipulated by the driver thereof to indicate to an approaching vehicle the direction that the vehicle is to take, for instance, when making a right hand turn or a left hand turn around corners.

A further object of the invention is to so construct the manipulating or actuating means that the same may be manipulated by either the driver, or an occupant of the vehicle other than the driver, who. may be riding for instance on the front seat along side of the driver.

A still further object of the invention is to so construct the direction indicator that it may be installed on a vehicle as an accessory, and to further so construct the same that it ma be manufactured at a comparatively mo est cost, and at the same time carry out its intended use with the greatest eiiiciency.

The accompanying drawing illustrates the preferred embodiment of the invention, which will be referred to in detail as an example of reducing the idea to practice. In said drawing,

Figure 1 is a view of the wirin diagram. I

Referringto the drawings in detail, the idea primarily involves providing a signal, or rather an indicator at the front and rear of the vehicle which may be of a commercial or pleasure type, so that a vehicle approaching from the front or rear may be advised as to the direction to be taken by the vehicle on which the indicator is mounted. For instance, if the driver of the vehicle intends to make a ri ht hand turn the signal on the front an rear will indicate accordingly. If he wishes to make a left hand turn the signal will likewise indicate. In order to realize the advantages of the invention from a commercial stand point the electric equipment, such for instance as the battery or enerator of the vehicle is used as a suitab e source of electricity with the switches re resenting the actuating means for the in icator mounted on the instrument board or dash, of the vehicle so that the same may be accessible to the driver so that he may manipulate the same to selectively close the circuit to the signals or indicators on the front and rear of the vehicle. In accordance with the wiring diagram shown in Fig. 1, the lead wire to the indicator s stem is connected to the storage battery o the vehicle with the signal or indicator li hts connected in series. Of course this nee not be controlling in every instance, as the same be likewise connected in parallel should occasion demand. The indicators or si als per se preferabl comprise a light abusing such as 5 which is su erimposed upon t e road lights or head lig ts 6 of the vehicle, and associated with the rear road light of the vehicle. These li ht housings represent an oblong casing w ic'h may e made of metal or the like with a glass front which may be either colored or plain. These glass fronts are constructed with the re resentation of an arrow with the point or ead thereof pointin in a direction to indicate a. right and 1e hand turn respectively. For instance in the case of the indicators on the front of the vehicle, the arrows will be pointing one to the right and the other to the left. On the rear the light housings are superimposed, one upon the other with the arrows pointing in opposite directions.

Mounted in each ousing is a li ht source such as a small electric bulb w ich will illuminate the housin and likewise the arrows represented on t e glass front thereof.

. the. pointing to illuminated and the same with Each of the right and left light housin may be selectively illumina d by t e switches which as previous] stated are 0- sitioned on the instrument ard or das 8 of the vehicle. These switches preferabl comprise a disk shaped backing to who the wires of the electric system of the indicators are connected, and with a switch handle 9 so arra d that the same may be moved to one .0 three positions, for instance a neutral position in which the'circuit Wlll be brokento a position to illuminate the left indicator, and to a position to illuminate the right indicator. In each one of the two last named ositions, to wit, the left hand and the rig t hand position, the circuit will be closed to the respective light sources. For instance, when the switch handle is turned to close the circuit at the position indicated as R to represent the right, the li ht housing at the right hand front head light with the arrow thereof pointed to the right-will be closed to indicate that the vehicle is to make a ri ht hand turn. Simultaneously with the ilumination of this indicator the circuit will also be closed to the right hand indicator on the rear of the vehicle. The same condition is controlling when the switch handle is turned to close the circuit in the position to indicate a left hand turn, that is to say the circuit will be closed to the indicator on the left head li ht and to the indicator representing the eft on the rear of the vehicle.

To realize the advantages of a dual controlso that the indicator may be operated by either the driver of the vehicle or an occupant of the vehicle other than the driver the'switch 7 is duplicated on both sides 0 the instrument board. The two switches are connected so that the manipulation of one will also manipulate the other. This is accomplished by means of a rigid bar 10 which extends from one handle -9 to the other handle 9 so that the turning of one handle will automatically turn the other.

The dash or instrument board is also wired and provided with a duplicate set of indica means such for instance as the light housing 11 which 'is adapted to supa'pair of lights with arrows on the glass fronts of the housing! pointing in opposite. directions so that w en the circuit is closed by the switches 7 to the ri ht hand indicator the light housinglon the ash with t e ri ht will be tie left hand indicator. {It is of course to be understood thatthe light housings on the instrument board will be illuminated simultaneously with those on the rear fenders and hea lights, thus apprising the driver as to the proper functioning of the lights.

In the wiring diagram shown in Fig. 1 in which the li hts are connected in series it willbenoticed that the source of electricity as stated is supplied from the battery from which the circuit extends through the lead wire a, to the switch handle 9, so that when the handle is turned to the point 12, the circuit will be closed throu h the wire a, to the light source in the right hand light housing on the dash through this light source throu h the wire d to e indicator on the right and head light, w ere the circuit is completed through the Round e. The circuit to the rear right han turn indicator is closed through the shunt wire f, p

with the und 9 completing the circuit. The circuit to the left hand indicators is a du lication of the wiring to the ri ht hand in icators and the same may be fiosed by turning the switch handle 9 to. close the contact at the point 6 g Of course in the, diagram shown it will only be necessary to make and break the circuit on one of the switches, regardless of whether the switch handle 9 on the right or left of the bar is operated they will both work in unison thus causing one or the.

other to make and break the circuit.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows 1. In a direction indicator for vehicles, a plurality of li ht housings on the front and rear of the ve icle with arrows adapted to indicate one or more directions that the vehicle is to take a light source in each of the housings, a circuit connecting the said light sources and dual means for selectively making and breaking the circuit to the said light *sources comprising a pair of switches mounted on the instrument board of the vehicle, with means connectin the same so that the actuatin ofone swltch will actuate the other switch.

2. In a direction indicator for vehicles, a

plurality of li ht housings on the front and rear of the ve icle adapted to indicate one or more directions that the vehicle is to take, a duplicate set of light housings on the instrument board of the vehicle; a light source in each of the housings, a circuit connecting the said light sources, and dual means for selectively making and breaking the circuit to the said light sources comprising a pair of switches mounted on the in-' strument board of the vehicle, with means connectin the same so that the actuating of one switc will actuate the other switch,

said switches being mounted at remote points on the said instrument board of the vehicle; whereby the same may be presented in convenient mani ulating position for the driver of the vehic e or an occupant of the vehicle other than the driver.

BOBT. PEAY SAFELY; 

